Washington, D.C. — Latino Victory Fund announced the endorsement of Marco Lopez for governor of Arizona. If elected, Lopez would be the first Latino governor of Arizona in nearly 50 years.
In a state where Latinos are 30 percent of the population, Lopez’s top-of-ticket candidacy is viewed as an opportunity to mobilize Latinos to vote for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot in the high-stakes 2022 midterm elections.
“Marco Lopez is an experienced, well-rounded community leader who has worked tirelessly for Arizonans by serving in public office and the small business sector. He’s a job creator with a bold vision to make Arizona an inclusive, prosperous state where Latinos and immigrants can thrive with opportunity,” said Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund president and CEO. “As governor, Marco will continue working to improve the lives of Arizonans by creating more jobs and expanding access to quality education and affordable health care. Latino Victory is proud to support Marco, and we are ready to get to work to ensure Arizona’s sizable Latino population is represented in the state’s top office for the first time in nearly 50 years.”
“I am excited to have Latino Victory Fund’s support because they are committed to electing more Latinos to statewide office and providing the resources needed to flip Arizona’s governorship blue,” said Marco Lopez, candidate for Arizona governor. “Unfortunately, my Republican opponents are wasting no time in using their campaigns to stir up hate against Latinos—people who look like me. The only way we can overcome this hatred and fear-mongering is to unite all communities regardless of background to build a stronger, more inclusive Arizona where everyone is welcome.”
Meet Marco Lopez
- Marco Lopez comes from generations of small business owners—his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother were small business owners who ran a candy shop and bed and breakfast. His father worked his way up from plumper to a general contracting business owner. Growing up, Lopez joined his father on the job, learning to solder copper pipes and thread galvanized steel gas lines.
- At 22, Lopez was elected Mayor of Nogales, one of the youngest people elected mayor of a U.S. city.
- In 2003, Lopez began serving the state of Arizona as the executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission.
- In 2008, he was appointed director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, where he prioritized Arizona’s economy and developed relationships with Mexican and Canadian companies to strengthen the state’s economy and create jobs.
- Lopez was chief of staff at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under President Obama, the largest federal law enforcement and trade agency, where he strengthened security while ensuring legal trade and travel at our borders.
- In 2011, Lopez started his own small business focused on bringing investments to the United States to help local communities. His work has brought high-speed internet to low-income families, closing the digital divide.
- Lopez also started the award-winning development Skybridge Arizona, which helps American companies export their products to Mexico, which is on track to create almost 15,000 jobs in Arizona. He also helped secure and donate PPE to frontline workers during the pandemic.
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The Latino Victory Fund is a progressive political action committee with the mission of growing Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government – from the school board to the Senate to the White House.
